The Sincerest Form of Flattery
by Ledabuhr
Summary: Leda's twin, Iyotanka, meets a new friend.


Author's Note: This fic was written for my boyfriend who plays a Tauren balance druid named Iyotanka. All he wanted for his birthday was a little moonkin pet and a story to accompany him. This tale takes place post-Cataclysm.

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><p>The Sincerest Form of Flattery<p>

The wind ruffled through his fur pleasantly and a smile curled around Iyo's face. He smoothed down the wrinkled green and brown Cenarion Circle tabard finding it appropriate to be aboard Elune's Blessing. Across the deck, a large brown horned bear and blue tattooed lion were wrestling and the Night Elf mariners avoided them suspiciously.

"We'll be docking in a few minutes, sir." Iyo nodded at the elf. Azuremyst Isle wasn't far from Teldrassil and he suspected that fact was the only reason Leda agreed to this expedition anyhow. He was grateful Soki had joined them and that the young Troll was so perceptive. If anyone needed a distraction whilst they travelled across a few miles of deep, endless water it was Leda.

"An'ore isnath inala." The navy blue lion raised her head, her left ear flicking a few times as the bear batted at it. Soki knew enough Darnassian to know they would arrive soon. Iyo continued in Orcish for Leda's benefit, "Stay in your forms. You don't have a Circle tabard yet Soki and I'm pretty sure you pissed off Nobundo last time you were here Leda." The bear rolled its eyes. "I'm not sure he appreciated the bear you carved into his air totem." The bear groaned in protest. "I know, it was a pretty good drawing, but shamans are tetchy about their totems."

His hooves clicked on the dock as they disembarked. The bear and lion padded along behind him docilely. With a grin, the bear swatted at the lion's head. The Tauren spun around and the bear and lion hung their heads. Iyo sighed. Honestly, he had to deliver a letter to a druid who spent most of his time at the end of this dock and they couldn't keep their paws to themselves for that long? Wordlessly he handed the letter over to Shalannius.

Leda turned back to the boat, waddling along the dock. Soki looked up at him questioningly, surely they weren't finished already?

"Hey, Leda… As long as we're here…" The bear hung her head and reluctantly padded back toward her brother. "Go on, have fun Leda. Soki and I will meet you back here at sundown." The bear snarled, a poor substitute for a smile, and then ran off into the forest. "I don't even want to know what she'll do all afternoon. C'mon Soki." Iyo shifted effortlessly into an auburn lion and the two sprinted inland.

They stopped at several locations along the way. Soki could tell that Iyo was observing something. The places they stopped were near the large pulsing pink crystals that littered the island. Iyo would watch the crystals carefully, noting the speed at which they pulsed. Next, he would circle around it, noting the nearby wildlife. Then he would shake his head disappointed and the two would take off at break neck speeds.

By the time they made it to the last spot, both druids were panting heavily. This last crystal was different, Soki noted. Iyo approached it oddly, shifting into his moonkin form directly from a lion. She was impressed at the depth of his skill - she still had to switch back into a Troll before attempting another form. The moonkin again circled the crystal and then looked out to the east. Soki circled around to see what had captured her mentor's attention.

Moonkin.

Soki bared her teeth - a cat's form of a smile. The two had met several moonkin during the fortnight they spent in Moonglade two months back. She remembered their quiet wisdom and gentle playful attitude. Excited to meet more of nature's guardians, Soki jumped up and began to run to them.

"Soki wait!"

The moonkin turned as one and glared at the unsuspecting Troll. Their angry eyes stopped Soki in her tracks; these were nothing like the Moonglade moonkin. They advanced on the two druids with crazed looks in their beady eyes. They ran for nearly ten minutes before the moonkin turned back. It took Iyo nearly as long to regain his breath - Tauren moonkin clearly weren't made for running. Soki pushed her wet nose into his palm, apologizing for antagonizing the feral owlbeasts. "Its ok, Soki," he murmured. "You didn't know."

"Hoot!"

The druids turned and were surprised to find a tiny moonkin behind them, looking up at Iyo expectantly.

"Hoot!"

Soki stretched her neck out, sniffing it carefully. The little moonkin chirped and bopped her nose with his tiny feathered hand. The lion panicked and zipped behind Iyo, only daring to peek out from around his sizeable hips after a couple of seconds had passed. The moonkin trilled and Soki darted back behind Iyo.

"C'mere you," Iyo mumbled at the baby moonkin, kneeling down and opening up his arms. With a happy chirp he hopped over and nestled himself into the crook of Iyo's feathered arm. "Stay here Soki, I'll take him back. They aren't quite so territorial when I'm in this form." With a content little sigh, the moonkin buried his face into Iyo's feathered chest and promptly fell asleep.

Iyo waddled back over to feral owlkin territory, carefully skirting around the periphery. Most of the nests this far out had been empty for years, but eventually he found one with three watermelon sized eggs. Gently, while keeping an eye on the nearest adult moonkin, he slid the baby into the nest. The corner of his mouth twitched up as the little moonkin curled a little closer to a still-warm purple egg.

His task complete, Iyo shifted easily and darted back to where he left Soki. The Troll was sprawled out on her back asleep with a paw covering her nose. The brown lion rolled his eyes and shifted back into a moonkin before reaching out to tickle the blue lion's exposed side. Before he got a chance to wake her he heard something all too familiar…

"Hoot!"

The little moonkin popped up from behind the sleeping lion, trying desperately to fly over to Iyo. When he landed on his bum instead of taking flight, the baby switched tactics. His little feathered arms reached up toward Iyo and he hopped in place excitedly. "Hoot!"

Soki stirred, one eye opening lazily. The large blue cat rolled over and stretched from head to tail with a large yawn. "C'mon Soki. Stay hidden, though."The Troll stalked into the shadow of a nearby pine and was gone. With a purposeful nod, the two moonkin set off again in the direction of the moonkin camp.

Again the baby moonkin was set into the nearest warm nest while the two druids backed away slowly. The baby seemed occupied with patting the eggs. Iyo shook his head when he saw a tiny pink tongue lick the shell. Satisfied the little moonkin was distracted enough to not notice their departure, they left again.

The sun was beginning to set and the amethyst sky was burning orange in the west. "I'm sure Leda's already waiting at the dock. She's been looking forward to sleeping at home again. Its been weeks since we were in Orgrimmar. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back." Around the next hill, they shifted into birds - one larger and browner and the other a little smaller and a deep emerald green. They flew quickly, weaving in and around gnarled pine trees and dangerously pink crystals.

As predicted, a large horned bear was sitting on the edge of the dock, her nose nearly touching the water as she watches the little fishes circle around a starfish. The birds shifted until a Tauren and Troll made their way through the tiny settlement toward the bear, who looked up as she heard their steps on the dock. "I know, we're a bit late," Iyo apologized, but the bear cocked her head and gave a nonchalant shrug. She still had pine needles along her left shoulder and a tuft of rabbit fur on her chin. Clearly Leda had enjoyed herself. "Why don't we get - " Iyo paused as his sister walked past him, staring curiously behind him.

"Hoot!"

Iyo hung his head. How did..? With a resigned sigh, he turned around. The little moonkin grinned at the approaching bear, hopping up and down in excitement. Leda sniffed at the baby bird, looking back at Iyo in confusion. The Tauren shrugged, "I tried! I swear I tried to put him back!" Leda's eyes danced with laughter and she turned back to investigating the newest addition to their menagerie.

"Hoot!"

The little moonkin tried to fly, flapping his little wings desperately. He got just high enough to latch onto Leda's nose, chirping excitedly and kicking his feet. With a grin, the bear lowered her head and the little moonkin waddled back over to Iyotanka, who bent down to pick him up. The Tauren addressed the little bird, who seemed to listen intently, "If you're to stay with us, you'll need a name. Don't suppose you could just tell us?" The moonkin trilled and bounced in the crook of Iyo's arm. "Any ideas Soki?"

"What about Clintar?" Iyo smirked. Clintar Dreamwalker was the guardian of Aviana's relics. They met him on their last trip to Moonglade. Soki was very fond of the tales of the Ancients and the two had been travelling around at every opportunity to learn more. Leda snorted at the name, shaking her head.

"Then what would you suggest Leda?" Soki grumbled putting her hand on her hip and glaring down at the bear. Leda turned, pointing out a particular tattoo on her side - a silhouette of a totem pole with wings. Iyo chuckled, remembering that particular tattoo.

"We can't name him Cairne, Leda. That would get confusing." The bear looked genuinely disappointed. Iyo continued, "What about Apa'ro?"

Soki smiled, tickling the little moonkin's cheek gently with a finger, "Definitely appropriate. The white stag - Malorne - father of Cenarius and protector of nature." The baby moonkin chirped happily in response.

"Apa'ro it is then." They turned toward Elune's Blessing, which had just arrived at the end of the dock. "Let's go home, huh Apa?"

"Hoot!"


End file.
